Shocking Proof – Not Everyone is Using Social Media!

We found an interesting infographic via Fast Company today. “Interesting” and “Infographic” aren’t always two words that appear together, but in this case, the message is pretty important. Click on the picture below to view it in larger size.

Now, as an advertising agency, we’re not 100% on board with being contrasted with “normal people,” but other than that, this infographic proves something that we have been experiencing and talking about for a few years now.

Not every company needs to use social media. Not every company’s customers or prospects are even using social media. Even if they are, they aren’t using social media to hear from companies.

Mind-crushing, right?

Of particular interest is how people not in the marketing world suggested companies use social media to reach them. According to the survey, only 46% of people polled said that companies should invest more in using sites like Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms. Only 23% said they wanted to see more from companies on their Facebook feed (this could explain low engagement rates on company Facebook pages) and a paltry 33% said they wanted to hear more from companies on Twitter.

Also of note, for all of the buzz Pinterest has created in the online world, only 11% of non-marketers polled had a Pinterest account.

So what does this mean?

The lesson here is not just for marketers. It’s also an important reminder for anyone who works for any type of company. When you are in a profession, your world is about that profession. For marketers, keeping up on the newest social media platform is part of how we prove our worth. If you work for a manufacturer, you know *everything* there is to know about your product and those of your competitors. It gets easy to assume that everybody knows what you’re talking about when you use your industry lingo. It gets easy to assume that everyone cares, in fact, about what you are talking about.

Whether you are on a marketing team or a sales team, it’s important to remember that the people you are talking to may not know all of the acronyms and shorthand that characterize your industry. Are you talking in the language of your customers or in your own language? This infographic is a potent reminder that we sometimes lose track of who our customers really are.

What do you take away from this infographic? We’d love to hear from you!